December 13, 2024 • 57 mins
The holiday season often wraps us in a quilt of contrasting emotions, which I know all too well. My own festive recollections are tinged with shades of past hardships; yet, they've led me to appreciate the nuanced beauty of this time of year. Join me as we traverse the landscape of traditions and the search for meaning amidst the twinkling lights and chill in the air. In a year like 2020, when the world turned inward, we find ourselves grappling with our perceptions of celebration and reflection. Together, we'll uncover the treasures hidden in life's simple moments and how they can illuminate even the darkest of winters.
Then, let's warm our hearts with stories of kindness that echo through the frosty air, like the one about a family whose Christmas was reborn through an act of unexpected generosity. No guests are needed when the narrative is rich with personal tales of compassion, from sending holiday greetings to soldiers healing from wounds of war to honoring those who've served with solemn wreaths. It's a discussion that goes beyond the festive façade, urging us to craft our own meaningful traditions and kindle the flame of togetherness. So wrap up in your favorite blanket, sip some hot cocoa, and let's revel in the joy of creating special memories that resonate with the spirit of the season.
Please visit us at: http://retreattopeace.com to find out more about the shows you love to listen to, the upcoming retreats we have planned and your favorite merchandise to help support those in need. Also, send us your testimonial of how the show or Catherine has helped you. We would love to share your story on the air.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Hey you, wherever you are.
I'm here to help you Whereveryou are in the world right now.
Thank you so much for beinghere with me.
We know that we're living insome crazy times and we know
(01:07):
that the world is changing.
So let's create a bridge as wetravel through one another's
countries, removing all thelabels, coming together as one
people, finding our home in thisone world.
And as we do this, this is whyour signature talk today is so
important.
Today I actually am coming toyou just one-on-one.
(01:29):
I don't have a guest speakerwith me today, because I thought
what I would do would besomething a little bit different
.
We know that we're in thethroes of the holiday season and
it's interesting because as wego through the holiday season,
people, especially this year,are really grappling with this
(01:50):
idea of celebrating the holidaysand what that looks like, and I
thought what I would do is toshare a little bit of insight
around how I grew up and whathappened with my holidays and
how I turned things around sothat it didn't feel so jarring.
I guess Right now, with theholiday season, people are
(02:14):
reminded of old traditions,people are reminded of things
that they did, such asgatherings, things that they did
with loved ones who had passed.
They are reminded of a timethat's gone by and, for a lot of
people, that can put them intoa state of depression because
they are mourning the loss ofsomeone.
(02:36):
As we sit here today, in thisholiday season, in the year 2020
, and as we are getting ready toembark on a brand new year,
2021, I thought it would bereally great to come and just
form this intimate space andwhere we talk about how these
(02:59):
old traditions have helped toshape us into who we are.
For myself, when I was growingup, christmas was a time that
was a reminder of a lot oftrauma for me, and for years and
years and years, I would dreadthe holiday season.
There were many reasons why Idreaded the holiday season.
(03:22):
One was because of the reminderof the trauma.
Two, because it was always adisappointing day for me.
This is also a day that Ireally didn't even understand
why we would celebrate, becausepeople around the world were in
celebration, but I was nevergiven the insight to understand
(03:44):
why we were celebrating.
So for me, it just was veryconfusing.
The time was confusing becauseit just didn't make sense, like
we would celebrate my birthday.
That made sense, but I didn'tunderstand the back end of what
the traditional holiday seasonrepresented.
When I think about that, I amalso reminded that there's
(04:06):
children around the world rightnow that are probably in a
similar space.
There's a lot of childrenaround the world right now that
are also living in a space thatI lived in, where the adults
that were in their life didn'twant to celebrate the holiday.
So for me, the holiday was areminder of someone who was not
(04:30):
all in, were all present intothis idea of celebration.
It was a reminder of theconstant barrage of attack, the
verbal attacks, the bah humbug,the grinch that we see portrayed
during the holidays.
But it was a constant attackand I didn't even understand why
(04:51):
, because, again, I was toolittle to understand that this
is something that personallythey were struggling with.
It had nothing to do with meand as children.
I think that is again a spacethat a lot of children are
living in and don't fullyunderstand that this really is a
space that the adults areliving in and as much as it's
(05:14):
affecting them, it's the adultownership of that particular
piece of it that they're facingand, unfortunately, the child is
facing in a different set ofcircumstances.
So, as Christmas season camealong and the holiday season
came along, year after year,what I found myself doing is
really gripping my fist in a waythat was like, oh, here we go
(05:38):
again, this is another cycle,this is another episode of
something that's going to happen.
That's really bad and justreally put me in a space that
you know.
I didn't even understand why Iwas being put in that space,
like I didn't do anything to putmyself in that space, but it
was.
It was the cause of somebodyelse's problem, and then they
(06:02):
were taking it out on me Foryears and years and years.
It was like the celebrationreally wasn't that much and that
was okay, and I didn't evenunderstand fully the gift of
giving in the season until I wasan adult and much older and
could rationalize some of thethings that we as adults
(06:26):
experience.
So, as we embark into the seasonin 2020, I think the gift of
the season that we've allexperienced is that this has
been a year for us to just slowdown.
This has been a year for us toface the things that we haven't
been able to face for a verylong time.
(06:48):
For people that have been doingtheir work on the other side of
this, they're going to have thegift of the freedom of not
having that weight that they'vebeen carrying for a long time,
the people who haven't done thework.
Unfortunately, they'll still bebearing that as we go into a
new year.
(07:08):
But the gift of 2020 hasliterally been the one where
we've been allowed to slow down.
We've been allowed to slow downand reassess and reevaluate a
lot of things and really removethe things that aren't working
for us.
Give us an opportunity toembrace the things that are
(07:29):
working for us.
I know so many people this yearthat have crossed my path and
have literally said that it'salmost like there's this
shedding that's happening withpeople and there's a shift as
far as relationships.
There's a shift in far as far asunderstanding the person, that
(07:52):
they are on a deeper level andwith greater clarity than
they've ever had before.
And for people that are livingin the darkness the people that
are living in the darkness thatare still grieving the life that
is no longer I really, reallyask you to try to remain present
(08:14):
in today and look for thingsthat are going to help get you
present.
So, look around the room andlook and mean five things that
you can just mean right away.
What are five things that youcan touch, what are five things
that you can smell Like.
Literally give your attentionto where you are in this
(08:37):
physical space in this moment,and people that are suffering
with this anxiousness of what's2021 going to bring again, try
to just remain present.
There's so much circulatingaround the world in regards to
various things, whether it's thevaccine, whether it's
(09:00):
continuation of lockdowns.
You know the virtual schoolingthat people are doing with their
children.
There's a lot of things thatpeople are going through, but
what I really, really wanteveryone to come home and do is
just really get yourselfcentered.
Get yourself centered and in aspace where you're really taking
(09:20):
care of yourself.
You're detoxing all of thenegative stuff that is being
bombarded onto you.
Before 2020 and the pandemichit, people were dealing with a
lot of stress.
People were dealing withrunning from the stress that
they were feeling and when thepandemic hit, it was like they
(09:42):
were forced to shuffle theirentire life and and their stress
actually had increased becauseit magnified.
And the gift of that has beenpeople just really really
re-evaluating everything.
It is that they have and that'sbeen very, very good for a lot
(10:03):
of people.
The flip side of it is there'sa lot of people who have gone
into a state of suffering and alot of people have gone into
this place of darkness.
So in the short time thatretreat to peace has been up and
running with Dream Vision Radio, I mean, we've seen the suicide
(10:23):
rate around the world increasepretty rapidly, and this is why
I do what I do.
I take this sacred space andtry to really put it out into
the world in such a way thatsomeone, whether it's man, woman
or child, can really resonatewith a message that somebody
(10:45):
who's already walked into thisspace can communicate and help
them to pull out of that space,the time that we live in right
now is changing, and we don'tknow what things are going to
look like in six months from now.
But what we do know is that wehave to take care of ourselves
and we have to take care of whatwe can control right here,
(11:07):
right now, today.
Everything else we just have tolet go and really be
surrendered to the fact thatthings will be okay.
This holiday season, thisChristmas time or whatever
holiday that you're celebratingaround the world.
It really is a time to settleinto a state of appreciation, a
(11:30):
state of gratitude, a state ofreally recognizing the simplest
things in life that maybe you'vetaken for granted, and maybe
just recognizing the people inyour life in such a
compassionate way and in such aloving way that maybe you've
taken for granted.
This year, the gift of theseason really is in the smallest
(11:56):
, littlest things.
It literally is the touch ofsomeone having a hug from
someone you love, having theminutest little thing of
gratitude, whether it's MotherEarth, whether it's just
recognizing that you're notalone, that you're surrounded by
(12:18):
guardian angels and earthangels and God.
Recognizing those things is thebiggest gift that you can give
yourself and it's something thatyou don't have to look to
anybody else.
When I was growing up and I wasliving with a parent who
despised the holiday season andthen turned that despise and
(12:46):
outwardly projected it onto thefamily, it took a long time to
recognize that my gift in theseason really came from me.
My gift in the season was in mylove, and just love that I
portrayed into the world.
(13:07):
Each and every one of us wasborn from love.
We are God's light, we areGod's love and each and every
one of us have thatresponsibility to share that
with the world.
That is the greatest Christmasgift that you can give is your
(13:28):
love, your gratitude, yourappreciation.
As I grew older and became amother and really started to
embrace the idea of the holidays, this funny thing happened to
me.
It literally put me in a placewhere I realized that I could
(13:50):
undo my past.
I couldn't do my past just bymy thoughts, just by valuing
what it was that I had withinmyself and give it to my
children, give it to mycommunity, give it to the world.
(14:13):
It took many many many yearsbefore I outwardly acknowledged
this because, I have to behonest with you, I'm very humble
and I don't tell people when Ido things.
So I had a special friend thatI had met 23 years ago and she
(14:41):
was going through some reallydifficult times.
She was heading into a divorceand she had two little girls and
literally I saw the hardshipthat she was going through and
when she took her family tochurch I took it upon myself to
(15:04):
drop off a few Christmas giftsfor her and her girls so that
they could have a smallChristmas.
I know it wasn't much, but it'swhat I had.
I know it wasn't much, but itwas what I had and it was
something small and graciousjust to let her know she wasn't
(15:26):
alone, her girls weren't aloneand that there was someone out
in the world who did care,someone who was showing her that
there was other people side byside and would walk with her and
help her along the way.
I later learned that I had beendubbed the Christmas angel and
(15:54):
I thought that was veryendearing and for several years,
until things got better for her, I would continue to do this.
So every Christmas Eve whenthey go to church, I would scoot
over and drop off some packagesfor them.
The Christmas angel had gone tolive on in other ways.
(16:15):
So as the girls get older andas my friend goes on her journey
, they find unique ways toliterally take what I did and
turn it into something that theytoo can give back to someone
else.
And what I love about that isthat excuse me, when you're
(16:41):
going through difficult times,there's always someone who can
relate to it, who understands it, who can help you.
But sometimes it's just amatter of asking.
Sometimes it's a matter of justreaching out and saying hey,
you know what I could use ahelping hand.
(17:03):
When Christmas, we had ourentire family coming and all of
our Christmas meal was preparedin a freezer sitting down in the
basement.
I had prepared for weeks allkinds of food and had prepared
(17:25):
it as such that, literally, Iwould just pull something out
and defrost it and use it as Ineeded, so that I didn't have to
spend all of my day in thekitchen but could actually spend
time with my family.
Well, excuse me, when the kidswere little, I don't know who it
was, but somebody had gone downinto the basement and I guess
(17:48):
they were looking for Christmascookies or something I'm not
really sure, but they left thefridge or the freezer door open
that day and by the time that Irecognized that there was
something wrong, all of the foodhad defrosted and all of
everything that I had made hadto be scrapped and literally
(18:08):
thrown away.
And for me in that moment itwas really a stunning moment
because I'd spent days and daysjust preparing Christmas cookies
and breads and lasagna and allkinds of food so that, like I
said, I wouldn't have to stay inthe kitchen when the family was
there.
And I'd called the insurancecompany and I'd asked for the
(18:33):
insurance company to help me andthey said well, you have a $500
deductible that you would haveto pay for us to replace any of
this.
And I just remember this sinkingfeeling in the pit of my
stomach because here we were ayoung family, we really didn't
(18:54):
have a whole lot of money and Ihad been laid off from work and
there were a lot of things thathad happened and just moved.
There was a lot of things thathad happened.
And I just remember thinkinghow are we going to pull this
off?
We've got family coming, wewant to do our very best and
(19:17):
they were traveling.
So it wasn't a situation wherethey were across town, it was a
situation where they weredriving for hours to come and
visit for the holiday.
And I told the woman on thephone from the insurance company
.
I said I really don't know whatto do and I just started to cry
(19:38):
because I felt so deflated,just absolutely deflated.
And she asked me.
She said will you guys be hometomorrow?
And I said yes and she saidokay, don't go anywhere because
we're going to stop by at oneo'clock.
And I really didn't understandwhat was happening at the time.
(19:59):
I think because I was so caughtup in you know, I've got these
small children, I've got thisfamily coming like.
There's so many things.
My head is just really reallyspinning.
And the next day at one o'clock,the insurance lady and her
staff from the insurance officehad shown up with a Christmas
(20:20):
ham and a multitude of bags tofeed the family.
And I literally just rememberbreaking down crying, just so
appreciative of this act ofkindness that these ladies put
together as the kindness oftheir own heart, just knowing
that we were a family in need atthat particular moment.
(20:44):
But the greatest gift wasreally when we were all saying
goodbye and I hugged this ladyand I said thank you so much,
like you'll never know how muchI appreciate this.
And later that night I had beenputting my son to bed and he
says you know what, mom?
(21:04):
He says you're the luckiestperson in the world.
And I said, why is that?
And he said because you justgot hugged by one of Santa's
angels.
And I thought, wow, like thefact that he recognized that
(21:29):
there were other people in theworld that were just, you know,
earth angels and giving.
You know the kindness of theirheart, just giving.
And he put those piecestogether and we saw the gift
that was given and received andhe felt the love from that.
It was so abundantly beautifuland just really really made an
(21:55):
impact on the entire family.
And it also made an impact insuch a way that it reminds every
single person that there may beyour time, there may be your
time in need, where you too mayneed to ask for help.
(22:18):
Or maybe you've already been inthose shoes, maybe you
understand what it's like to askfor help, because I've had been
gifted the experience of livingin an environment where,
literally, the holiday seasonwas awful because, because we're
(22:43):
in the holiday season, we'regoing to make your life a living
hell, because I experiencedthat.
I know the other side and Iknow what it's like to turn it
inside out and I know what it'slike to give the gift of giving.
The gift of giving is far morejoyous than the gift of
(23:09):
receiving.
My children were given the giftof receiving that day when we
had that Christmas mealdelivered to our home, and it
gave them so much insight intowhat that felt like.
(23:31):
What it felt like for theperson that they may see that is
homeless, or what it felt likefor the person who is a
struggling parent with littlekids, or someone who's just down
on their luck, someone who'ssick, someone without family.
(23:52):
It gave them compassion.
I have repeatedly, over and overwith my family, sought out ways
to put that love back into theworld.
When I have an opportunity, Itake it and I use it and I
(24:15):
present it.
When I hear there's a family inneed and if I know I can help
them, I find a way to help them,because I know what that feels
like to be on the other side.
Every year I take all of mycards that I have not used and I
(24:39):
write them out to woundedsoldiers that are recovering in
a veterans' hospital.
Every year I send the cards outand I've done this for years
and years and years and I nevertold anybody.
Recently, I finally toldsomebody.
(25:01):
I was speaking to a man thathad served in the military and
he had shared with me a littlebit about his friend who was in
a veterans' hospital and talkedabout the hardship that he was
facing.
He was alone, without family,away from his family, because
(25:27):
there was this big distance.
Really, what this did is thiscreated a space where this
soldier was really reallystruggling with where he was in
that particular time in his life.
And I said well, I have aconfession.
(25:49):
I said I actually write out allof my leftover cards and I send
them to the veteran hospitaland I write messages to the
soldiers.
And this man six, three,whatever.
He is tall foot tall and just abig guy and he too is a veteran
(26:14):
he just started to weep and hesaid you have no idea the impact
that that makes on the soldier.
The mere fact that you'retaking the time out to write a
message to let them know thatthey're not alone, it's
(26:39):
everything.
And you're a total stranger andyou're doing this out of the
kindness of your heart, notbecause you have to, but just
because you want to.
And when he told me this and Isaw the look on his face and I
saw him tear up and try to fightthose tears from streaming down
(27:00):
his face, it really gave methis sense of compassion around
this population of people withgreater insight than maybe I
even thought I had.
So slowly my secret got out thatI'd been doing this for years
(27:23):
and people have said over andover thank you for doing that.
But I don't say that it doesn'thave any kind of
acknowledgement of what I'vedone.
It's the complete opposite.
It's more about looking for thesmallest ways to make an impact
(27:43):
on someone else's life, lookingfor ways that are really going
to help boost someone else up.
It doesn't take a whole lot todo it, but it does mean
something.
Today, not only do I do thecards for the veterans, but I
(28:04):
also take time.
In every single year I go to themilitary cemetery and lay the
Christmas wreaths out on thegraves with hundreds of people,
thousands of people that do itend to end across the country.
(28:28):
The first year I did it, I wentwith anticipation of what it
would feel like thinking I'mdoing something special for
someone who's passed and maybeit's a World War I or World War
(28:48):
II vet or someone who's foughtin one of the wars.
But the astounding thing to mewas when I got to the military
cemetery.
It literally was at theentrance gate that you saw these
magnificent flags thatliterally are lining the street
(29:09):
to go up into the cemetery andthere's just piles and piles and
piles of wreaths that arestacked on top of each other and
all of the white headstonesthat go for acres that are just
lined up.
And when you look across yousee the white headstones and by
(29:33):
the time you leave you see thesebeautiful white headstones with
the Christmas wreaths and thebig red bow.
And it just moves you becausehundreds and thousands of men
and women that have served thecountry have just been honored
by total strangers.
(29:54):
And every time you pick up awreath you go over to the
headstone and you say theperson's name and if you have a
prayer, you say a prayer and youlay the wreath.
And it didn't hit me until Iheard someone say I am so filled
(30:16):
with gratitude that you've donethis for my father or my son or
my uncle or whoever it was thatwas in their family, because
they were on the other side ofthe country and couldn't be at
that cemetery to physically, inperson, honor their loved one
(30:37):
who had passed, who had servedthe country.
And I thought, oh my goodness,because for me, one of the
reasons I do it is that I don'tlive nearby the cemetery of my
grandparents, and my grandfatherserved the country and that was
(31:00):
something for me that I feltwas so powerful, was just, it
was a way to connect with himbut do something for other
people.
So when I heard this, it wasastounding because it was like I
get it.
I really get it, becausesomebody else is doing the same
(31:20):
thing for me in a differentplace.
But then, as I started to lookaround and walk the cemetery,
all of a sudden I come to anarea that is new earth, that has
been unearthed and brand newgraves are there, and then you
(31:46):
see the families that have shownup to honor their 20-something
year old son or daughter who isburied there, and it just brings
you to your knees becauseyou're reminded of the fact that
even in this holiday season,someone has lost someone they
(32:11):
love.
If you're hearing this and youhave anyone in your life that
you have a connection with thathas lost someone.
Keep them in your heart, inyour prayers, reach out to them,
make sure that they know thatyou're with them, that you're
(32:32):
thinking of them, because thisis a difficult time.
This holiday season, look forthe light, and when you can't
find the light, then you be thelight.
You take that opportunity to bethe light in someone else's
(32:55):
world.
It's so important that we'rethere for one another and in
this holiday season, the gift ofjust getting inward into your
own heart space and learningmore about yourself and taking
care of yourself is the greatestgift that you can give yourself
(33:15):
.
And the greatest gift that youcan give to another person is
love.
Give them love.
Give them the pure appreciationof recognizing them exactly as
they are and loving them.
This holiday season may bejoyous.
(33:40):
May it be abundant in love.
May it be everything that youenvision, because that's the
only thing that you need is oneanother in love.
Everything else it's a bonus.
Everything else is a bonus.
(34:03):
I look around and I see so manypeople caught up in the web of
the hustle and the bustle andthey have to do this and they
have to do that, but who saysyou have to?
Would it be okay if it just gotsimpler?
I have chosen to take thisholiday season and make it
(34:26):
simpler.
I've chosen to make it simplerfor a variety of reasons,
because one I think it'simportant that we recognize the
simplicity is a gift For yearsand years and years, these
(34:47):
traditions that we've lived by.
They may or may not have worked.
Maybe they've worked to give usmemories, but did they work to
give you the love that you feel,with simplicity?
Only you can answer that.
(35:08):
Take a step back and just thinkabout the gift of the Christmas
season, the gift of giving, andwhat your gift of giving really
is about.
For people struggling withtheir relationships, the holiday
(35:32):
season is so, so stressful fora lot of people.
But what if it didn't have tobe so stressful?
What if you could find a way towork with your family, with
your partner, and just come to aplace that it's okay for it to
(35:57):
be, exactly the way that it is,however that looks.
I have one Christmas tree that Iput out every year and it's
filled with homing ornamentsthat my children and I made when
they were young or they made inschool.
They tease me for putting itout, but there will be a point
(36:22):
that they're going to understandthat that tree is so special to
me because it is the simplicityof just having a little
ornament that brings me backinto a place in time when they
were two or three or five oreight, whatever age they were,
(36:48):
and it just gives me so muchwarmth in my heart because
that's a memory that I'll alwayshave and it's so special.
But they don't like theirornaments because as adults they
see them and they think they'rechildish and they weren't made
very well or they didn't do aperfect painting or whatever it
(37:10):
is that they did.
But that's just it.
It's perfect exactly the waythat it is, because that's what
they did, that's what they had.
So all those parents out there,when your child gives you a
gift, hold it and know that thatwas what they had, no matter
(37:35):
what it is.
And it's so special.
It's so special because it'sfrom them, it's from their heart
.
This time, this season, is anopportunity also to make new
traditions.
It could be as silly as you'vespent days and days and days
(37:59):
working on making Christmascookies, or maybe you've spent
days and days and days and youjust haven't been able to do too
much.
But there's something, ablessing, that comes from a
moment, and then that littleinsight into that blessing can
(38:19):
start to form a tradition.
Let me give you an example.
So when my children were small,and as I already shared, I
would spend a lot of time in thekitchen baking Christmas
cookies.
And for some reason I had tobake a variety of Christmas
cookies because I wanted torecreate some of what I
(38:43):
experienced in my home with mygrandparents.
So I wanted to have some ofthose traditional cookies that
my grandmother would make, and Itried to keep that tradition up
through the years.
Well, my son, christmas morning,he wakes up and he says Well,
(39:05):
we get to have those Christmascookies now, right.
And the first thought I had waswell, I told you, I had to wait
till Christmas.
It's Christmas andtraditionally, yes, we would
wait until later in the day tohave Christmas cookies.
But then something said to meno, it is time to have those
(39:26):
Christmas cookies.
So when he was four years oldand he asked that question,
everything changed, because itcame a new tradition that every
single Christmas morning fromthat point forward, when
everyone was doing thetraditional things, we would
(39:49):
have our Christmas cookies andthat's how we started our day,
and I just love how thattradition started, because it
was something that was unique toour family.
So, wherever you are in theworld, whatever it is that
you're doing for your holiday,it's okay to embrace the
(40:11):
simplicity of the holiday, it'sokay to embrace new traditions
and, even though 2020 has reallyrocked us and really shaken
things up for everybody, we'llremember the ones who have
passed.
We'll keep them close in ourheart, we'll honor them, and
(40:33):
it's okay if things lookdifferent this year, because
things do change and maybe thisis the start of something new
for everyone.
Maybe gone are the days of thiscrazy expectation that you have
to do everything a certain way.
(40:54):
A lot of people around theworld, as they're reevaluating
themselves, their lives arechanging.
I know a lot of people who haveseparated from relationships
and maybe things are harder, butagain, take the simplicity and
(41:16):
use that to be something thatcan be helpful to you and your
family in getting through thisperiod of time.
The holiday season is so special.
It's one where we areappreciative, generous, loving,
(41:40):
and for those people that don'texperience those things, like I
experienced as a little girl, itstarts with you.
It starts with you.
Go within you and use all ofthat to help someone else as we
(42:02):
go into the coming week.
I know 2021 is exciting becauseit means that we're embarking
in a new space and we're goinginto new beginnings, and I will
be uploading a very specialrecording with a very special
(42:25):
human.
All of everyone that I'verecorded with has been amazing,
but this one's going to give usa little bit of insight on this
term called New Earth.
For some people, they don'treally know what that means, but
it's going to be a special,special moment.
As we go into 2021, plan forwhat it is that you'd like your
(42:52):
life to be like.
Continue to do the work thatyou've been doing in 2020.
Continue to live in your spaceof love and gratitude.
Continue to seek out support ifyou need support.
Continue to detox any negativestuff that's heading your way.
(43:14):
Detoxing is so, so important.
As we go into 2021, retreat toPeace will be offering actual
retreats that will give peoplean opportunity to escape from
their world and be part of ahealing platform and do some of
(43:36):
this healing work.
I'm very excited about thisbecause I just know that there's
so many people who really,really want to wrap their arms
around more of this and havemore insight into this, and I'm
excited to be able to offer thatto you.
Continue to work on yourhealing toolbox.
(43:59):
If you're looking for thehealing toolbox, the website
wwwretreattopeacenet is whereyou can find it.
There's additional resourcesthere for distance healing.
There's additional resourcesthere for oils oils, or
(44:23):
something I use every single dayas part of my routine.
There's additional resourcesthere for detoxing your
environment.
If you're in an environmentthat's heavily exposed to toxins
.
There's additional resourcesthere for a lot of things, so
please feel free to utilize themand be part of a community that
(44:46):
is really working hard to getinto space where they are living
with that abundance of peace.
If anyone is in a space wherethey can help someone this
Christmas season, this holidayseason, take the opportunity to
do that.
(45:06):
Take the opportunity to findways to do that, because it will
be the greatest gift that youcan give yourself.
Live a blessed, blessed holidayseason, make it merry, make it
(45:27):
bright, make it everything thatyou want it to be, and live in
gratitude and love.
And wherever you are in,whatever stage of life, you do
get to decide what it looks likeand how it feels.
So show up.
Show up and do somethingspecial.
(45:49):
Do something special.
I would love to hear more aboutwhat you did.
That was special.
I shared some of my stories withyou, but I would love to hear
some of yours.
You can write to me atretreat2peaceloc at gmailcom.
(46:15):
I would love to hear yourthoughts.
I would love to hear about yourtraditions, maybe traditions
that you've changed, maybe newtraditions you've made.
I would love to hear from youabout the show.
If you're enjoying the show, Iwould love to hear whatever it
is that you have for feedback.
So, continue to be part of thisamazing world community, this
(46:42):
global humanitarian effort tobring the world together in a
safe healing space.
Continue to do that inner workand, of course, if anything is
resonating with you and maybe itcan help someone else, please,
please, please, share thesemessages.
(47:03):
Share these messages with yourcommunity, share them with the
people that you know that canbenefit.
But take the time to do thisspecial work for yourself,
because I know firsthand you'reworth it and every single human
being on the face of this planetis here for a reason and I'm so
(47:26):
excited about that.
So I ask you my retreat topeace listener, if I were to
pick up your earth angel featheroff of the ground and you had a
message to the world.
Be what would it be?
If you would like to share that, you can also write to me as
(47:53):
well.
I hope this holiday season isnothing but joyous, abundant and
filled with love and light and,as we go into 2021, I'm excited
to start the new year off withyou and I ask you to continue to
(48:15):
be with me as we continue onour journey of sharing messages
to help heal the world.
Thank you to each and every oneof you on behalf of myself.
I'm filled with gratitude andthat is such a short amount of
time that you all have joined meon this platform to be part of
(48:41):
this special community.
From the bottom of my heart, Ithank you.
May this holiday season beabundant and joyous for you.
This is Catherine Daniels, withRetreat to Peace.
That's all we have time fortoday and, as always, live your
authentic life in peace andretreat to peace.
(49:03):
We'll see you next time.
(50:51):
This is Catherine Daniels,coming back with a message of
gratitude and appreciation forRetreat to Peace and the launch
of Retreat to Peace to be ahumanitarian effort going out
into the world space, being in aplace where, literally, it can
(51:14):
help other people heal.
I am so filled with gratitudefor the love and support from
DreamVision7 Radio.
Deborah, you and your staffhave been amazing and
instrumental in helping me tolaunch a program that is so
(51:38):
vitally important in a worldstage that is really changing at
a rapid pace.
I thank you and I love you formaking me feel at home with your
family.
Thank you to my personal familyfor all of your love and
support and the extension of myfamily To Claudia, to Lisa, to
(52:03):
Diane, lauren, beth, ann, olivia, jackie, chelsea, manish, jeff.
There are so many people whohave loved and supported me
through this journey and throughthis process, and without your
love and support I don't knowthat I would have had this into
(52:27):
the space that it lives today,and I am so filled with
gratitude for you and for beingpart of my life.
Candace Winter, kristie Kitchen,giuliana Chiano, paul Forcing,
christine McGrath, robertKittridge, louis Cigaret, roman
(52:49):
Pocacciac, elaine Tursow,alexandria Desario, julia Valdez
, annie Axel, carissa Quaid,brooke Collins, rachel Wilson,
liz Tobin, teresa Elcombe, juliaStuby, laura Cheadle, barbara
(53:15):
Shouten, taylor Martin, chris DT, jordan, sasha, taylor, terry,
christine, suzanne Anderson,tammy Magnuson, tracy Ann, linda
, julius, scott Manduck, kristenMiller, preethi Jane Dee, ann
(53:42):
Smith, frank King, priscillaGeorge, destiny Dehaven, carrie
Laws, terry Banover, bergeEazale, lisa McNett, joe Peach
Graves, natasha Hobble, davidHollingsworth, helen Hardware,
(54:06):
kwan Glover, anne CK Nicholl,tiana Biondi, rihanna Campbell,
jennifer Rogers, susan Ways,kuwita Richards, Judy Winslow,
maggie Dawn, kim Munick, helenHannah, kristy Martin, casey
(54:31):
Compton, yvette Bowden,priscilla Augusta Jenin, lisa
Cook, nikki Lane, susieMcWilliams, tara Ubi, claudia
Ballmer, matina Singh andPratitha Bae.
(54:52):
Thank you so so much for beingpart of this special journey
with me.
I am just filled with gratitudefor meeting each and every one
of you and allowing me tointerview you and have this
experience with you.
Each and every one of you hasgiven me insight to things that
(55:17):
I didn't even know, but, greaterthan that, you've given insight
to a world that needs you morethan ever.
Thank you from the bottom of myheart.
May the end of 2020 be joyousand blessed and, as you journey
into 2021, may you continue withmany blessings, much love and
(55:41):
gratitude.
This is Catherine Daniels, withRetreat to Peace.
Give your authentic life andpeace and we'll see you next
time.
Thank you so much.
Hey you, wherever you are.
I'm here to help you Whereveryou are in the world right now.
Thank you so much for beinghere with me.
We know that we're living insome crazy times and we know
(01:07):
that the world is changing.
So let's create a bridge as wetravel through one another's
countries, removing all thelabels, coming together as one
people, finding our home in thisone world.
And as we do this, this is whyour signature talk today is so
important.
Today I actually am coming toyou just one-on-one.
(01:29):
I don't have a guest speakerwith me today, because I thought
what I would do would besomething a little bit different
.
We know that we're in thethroes of the holiday season and
it's interesting because as wego through the holiday season,
people, especially this year,are really grappling with this
(01:50):
idea of celebrating the holidaysand what that looks like, and I
thought what I would do is toshare a little bit of insight
around how I grew up and whathappened with my holidays and
how I turned things around sothat it didn't feel so jarring.
I guess Right now, with theholiday season, people are
(02:14):
reminded of old traditions,people are reminded of things
that they did, such asgatherings, things that they did
with loved ones who had passed.
They are reminded of a timethat's gone by and, for a lot of
people, that can put them intoa state of depression because
they are mourning the loss ofsomeone.
(02:36):
As we sit here today, in thisholiday season, in the year 2020
, and as we are getting ready toembark on a brand new year,
2021, I thought it would bereally great to come and just
form this intimate space andwhere we talk about how these
(02:59):
old traditions have helped toshape us into who we are.
For myself, when I was growingup, christmas was a time that
was a reminder of a lot oftrauma for me, and for years and
years and years, I would dreadthe holiday season.
There were many reasons why Idreaded the holiday season.
(03:22):
One was because of the reminderof the trauma.
Two, because it was always adisappointing day for me.
This is also a day that Ireally didn't even understand
why we would celebrate, becausepeople around the world were in
celebration, but I was nevergiven the insight to understand
(03:44):
why we were celebrating.
So for me, it just was veryconfusing.
The time was confusing becauseit just didn't make sense, like
we would celebrate my birthday.
That made sense, but I didn'tunderstand the back end of what
the traditional holiday seasonrepresented.
When I think about that, I amalso reminded that there's
(04:06):
children around the world rightnow that are probably in a
similar space.
There's a lot of childrenaround the world right now that
are also living in a space thatI lived in, where the adults
that were in their life didn'twant to celebrate the holiday.
So for me, the holiday was areminder of someone who was not
(04:30):
all in, were all present intothis idea of celebration.
It was a reminder of theconstant barrage of attack, the
verbal attacks, the bah humbug,the grinch that we see portrayed
during the holidays.
But it was a constant attackand I didn't even understand why
(04:51):
, because, again, I was toolittle to understand that this
is something that personallythey were struggling with.
It had nothing to do with meand as children.
I think that is again a spacethat a lot of children are
living in and don't fullyunderstand that this really is a
space that the adults areliving in and as much as it's
(05:14):
affecting them, it's the adultownership of that particular
piece of it that they're facingand, unfortunately, the child is
facing in a different set ofcircumstances.
So, as Christmas season camealong and the holiday season
came along, year after year,what I found myself doing is
really gripping my fist in a waythat was like, oh, here we go
(05:38):
again, this is another cycle,this is another episode of
something that's going to happen.
That's really bad and justreally put me in a space that
you know.
I didn't even understand why Iwas being put in that space,
like I didn't do anything to putmyself in that space, but it
was.
It was the cause of somebodyelse's problem, and then they
(06:02):
were taking it out on me Foryears and years and years.
It was like the celebrationreally wasn't that much and that
was okay, and I didn't evenunderstand fully the gift of
giving in the season until I wasan adult and much older and
could rationalize some of thethings that we as adults
(06:26):
experience.
So, as we embark into the seasonin 2020, I think the gift of
the season that we've allexperienced is that this has
been a year for us to just slowdown.
This has been a year for us toface the things that we haven't
been able to face for a verylong time.
(06:48):
For people that have been doingtheir work on the other side of
this, they're going to have thegift of the freedom of not
having that weight that they'vebeen carrying for a long time,
the people who haven't done thework.
Unfortunately, they'll still bebearing that as we go into a
new year.
(07:08):
But the gift of 2020 hasliterally been the one where
we've been allowed to slow down.
We've been allowed to slow downand reassess and reevaluate a
lot of things and really removethe things that aren't working
for us.
Give us an opportunity toembrace the things that are
(07:29):
working for us.
I know so many people this yearthat have crossed my path and
have literally said that it'salmost like there's this
shedding that's happening withpeople and there's a shift as
far as relationships.
There's a shift in far as far asunderstanding the person, that
(07:52):
they are on a deeper level andwith greater clarity than
they've ever had before.
And for people that are livingin the darkness the people that
are living in the darkness thatare still grieving the life that
is no longer I really, reallyask you to try to remain present
(08:14):
in today and look for thingsthat are going to help get you
present.
So, look around the room andlook and mean five things that
you can just mean right away.
What are five things that youcan touch, what are five things
that you can smell Like.
Literally give your attentionto where you are in this
(08:37):
physical space in this moment,and people that are suffering
with this anxiousness of what's2021 going to bring again, try
to just remain present.
There's so much circulatingaround the world in regards to
various things, whether it's thevaccine, whether it's
(09:00):
continuation of lockdowns.
You know the virtual schoolingthat people are doing with their
children.
There's a lot of things thatpeople are going through, but
what I really, really wanteveryone to come home and do is
just really get yourselfcentered.
Get yourself centered and in aspace where you're really taking
(09:20):
care of yourself.
You're detoxing all of thenegative stuff that is being
bombarded onto you.
Before 2020 and the pandemichit, people were dealing with a
lot of stress.
People were dealing withrunning from the stress that
they were feeling and when thepandemic hit, it was like they
(09:42):
were forced to shuffle theirentire life and and their stress
actually had increased becauseit magnified.
And the gift of that has beenpeople just really really
re-evaluating everything.
It is that they have and that'sbeen very, very good for a lot
(10:03):
of people.
The flip side of it is there'sa lot of people who have gone
into a state of suffering and alot of people have gone into
this place of darkness.
So in the short time thatretreat to peace has been up and
running with Dream Vision Radio, I mean, we've seen the suicide
(10:23):
rate around the world increasepretty rapidly, and this is why
I do what I do.
I take this sacred space andtry to really put it out into
the world in such a way thatsomeone, whether it's man, woman
or child, can really resonatewith a message that somebody
(10:45):
who's already walked into thisspace can communicate and help
them to pull out of that space,the time that we live in right
now is changing, and we don'tknow what things are going to
look like in six months from now.
But what we do know is that wehave to take care of ourselves
and we have to take care of whatwe can control right here,
(11:07):
right now, today.
Everything else we just have tolet go and really be
surrendered to the fact thatthings will be okay.
This holiday season, thisChristmas time or whatever
holiday that you're celebratingaround the world.
It really is a time to settleinto a state of appreciation, a
(11:30):
state of gratitude, a state ofreally recognizing the simplest
things in life that maybe you'vetaken for granted, and maybe
just recognizing the people inyour life in such a
compassionate way and in such aloving way that maybe you've
taken for granted.
This year, the gift of theseason really is in the smallest
(11:56):
, littlest things.
It literally is the touch ofsomeone having a hug from
someone you love, having theminutest little thing of
gratitude, whether it's MotherEarth, whether it's just
recognizing that you're notalone, that you're surrounded by
(12:18):
guardian angels and earthangels and God.
Recognizing those things is thebiggest gift that you can give
yourself and it's something thatyou don't have to look to
anybody else.
When I was growing up and I wasliving with a parent who
despised the holiday season andthen turned that despise and
(12:46):
outwardly projected it onto thefamily, it took a long time to
recognize that my gift in theseason really came from me.
My gift in the season was in mylove, and just love that I
portrayed into the world.
(13:07):
Each and every one of us wasborn from love.
We are God's light, we areGod's love and each and every
one of us have thatresponsibility to share that
with the world.
That is the greatest Christmasgift that you can give is your
(13:28):
love, your gratitude, yourappreciation.
As I grew older and became amother and really started to
embrace the idea of the holidays, this funny thing happened to
me.
It literally put me in a placewhere I realized that I could
(13:50):
undo my past.
I couldn't do my past just bymy thoughts, just by valuing
what it was that I had withinmyself and give it to my
children, give it to mycommunity, give it to the world.
(14:13):
It took many many many yearsbefore I outwardly acknowledged
this because, I have to behonest with you, I'm very humble
and I don't tell people when Ido things.
So I had a special friend thatI had met 23 years ago and she
(14:41):
was going through some reallydifficult times.
She was heading into a divorceand she had two little girls and
literally I saw the hardshipthat she was going through and
when she took her family tochurch I took it upon myself to
(15:04):
drop off a few Christmas giftsfor her and her girls so that
they could have a smallChristmas.
I know it wasn't much, but it'swhat I had.
I know it wasn't much, but itwas what I had and it was
something small and graciousjust to let her know she wasn't
(15:26):
alone, her girls weren't aloneand that there was someone out
in the world who did care,someone who was showing her that
there was other people side byside and would walk with her and
help her along the way.
I later learned that I had beendubbed the Christmas angel and
(15:54):
I thought that was veryendearing and for several years,
until things got better for her, I would continue to do this.
So every Christmas Eve whenthey go to church, I would scoot
over and drop off some packagesfor them.
The Christmas angel had gone tolive on in other ways.
(16:15):
So as the girls get older andas my friend goes on her journey
, they find unique ways toliterally take what I did and
turn it into something that theytoo can give back to someone
else.
And what I love about that isthat excuse me, when you're
(16:41):
going through difficult times,there's always someone who can
relate to it, who understands it, who can help you.
But sometimes it's just amatter of asking.
Sometimes it's a matter of justreaching out and saying hey,
you know what I could use ahelping hand.
(17:03):
When Christmas, we had ourentire family coming and all of
our Christmas meal was preparedin a freezer sitting down in the
basement.
I had prepared for weeks allkinds of food and had prepared
(17:25):
it as such that, literally, Iwould just pull something out
and defrost it and use it as Ineeded, so that I didn't have to
spend all of my day in thekitchen but could actually spend
time with my family.
Well, excuse me, when the kidswere little, I don't know who it
was, but somebody had gone downinto the basement and I guess
(17:48):
they were looking for Christmascookies or something I'm not
really sure, but they left thefridge or the freezer door open
that day and by the time that Irecognized that there was
something wrong, all of the foodhad defrosted and all of
everything that I had made hadto be scrapped and literally
(18:08):
thrown away.
And for me in that moment itwas really a stunning moment
because I'd spent days and daysjust preparing Christmas cookies
and breads and lasagna and allkinds of food so that, like I
said, I wouldn't have to stay inthe kitchen when the family was
there.
And I'd called the insurancecompany and I'd asked for the
(18:33):
insurance company to help me andthey said well, you have a $500
deductible that you would haveto pay for us to replace any of
this.
And I just remember this sinkingfeeling in the pit of my
stomach because here we were ayoung family, we really didn't
(18:54):
have a whole lot of money and Ihad been laid off from work and
there were a lot of things thathad happened and just moved.
There was a lot of things thathad happened.
And I just remember thinkinghow are we going to pull this
off?
We've got family coming, wewant to do our very best and
(19:17):
they were traveling.
So it wasn't a situation wherethey were across town, it was a
situation where they weredriving for hours to come and
visit for the holiday.
And I told the woman on thephone from the insurance company
.
I said I really don't know whatto do and I just started to cry
(19:38):
because I felt so deflated,just absolutely deflated.
And she asked me.
She said will you guys be hometomorrow?
And I said yes and she saidokay, don't go anywhere because
we're going to stop by at oneo'clock.
And I really didn't understandwhat was happening at the time.
(19:59):
I think because I was so caughtup in you know, I've got these
small children, I've got thisfamily coming like.
There's so many things.
My head is just really reallyspinning.
And the next day at one o'clock,the insurance lady and her
staff from the insurance officehad shown up with a Christmas
(20:20):
ham and a multitude of bags tofeed the family.
And I literally just rememberbreaking down crying, just so
appreciative of this act ofkindness that these ladies put
together as the kindness oftheir own heart, just knowing
that we were a family in need atthat particular moment.
(20:44):
But the greatest gift wasreally when we were all saying
goodbye and I hugged this ladyand I said thank you so much,
like you'll never know how muchI appreciate this.
And later that night I had beenputting my son to bed and he
says you know what, mom?
(21:04):
He says you're the luckiestperson in the world.
And I said, why is that?
And he said because you justgot hugged by one of Santa's
angels.
And I thought, wow, like thefact that he recognized that
(21:29):
there were other people in theworld that were just, you know,
earth angels and giving.
You know the kindness of theirheart, just giving.
And he put those piecestogether and we saw the gift
that was given and received andhe felt the love from that.
It was so abundantly beautifuland just really really made an
(21:55):
impact on the entire family.
And it also made an impact insuch a way that it reminds every
single person that there may beyour time, there may be your
time in need, where you too mayneed to ask for help.
(22:18):
Or maybe you've already been inthose shoes, maybe you
understand what it's like to askfor help, because I've had been
gifted the experience of livingin an environment where,
literally, the holiday seasonwas awful because, because we're
(22:43):
in the holiday season, we'regoing to make your life a living
hell, because I experiencedthat.
I know the other side and Iknow what it's like to turn it
inside out and I know what it'slike to give the gift of giving.
The gift of giving is far morejoyous than the gift of
(23:09):
receiving.
My children were given the giftof receiving that day when we
had that Christmas mealdelivered to our home, and it
gave them so much insight intowhat that felt like.
(23:31):
What it felt like for theperson that they may see that is
homeless, or what it felt likefor the person who is a
struggling parent with littlekids, or someone who's just down
on their luck, someone who'ssick, someone without family.
(23:52):
It gave them compassion.
I have repeatedly, over and overwith my family, sought out ways
to put that love back into theworld.
When I have an opportunity, Itake it and I use it and I
(24:15):
present it.
When I hear there's a family inneed and if I know I can help
them, I find a way to help them,because I know what that feels
like to be on the other side.
Every year I take all of mycards that I have not used and I
(24:39):
write them out to woundedsoldiers that are recovering in
a veterans' hospital.
Every year I send the cards outand I've done this for years
and years and years and I nevertold anybody.
Recently, I finally toldsomebody.
(25:01):
I was speaking to a man thathad served in the military and
he had shared with me a littlebit about his friend who was in
a veterans' hospital and talkedabout the hardship that he was
facing.
He was alone, without family,away from his family, because
(25:27):
there was this big distance.
Really, what this did is thiscreated a space where this
soldier was really reallystruggling with where he was in
that particular time in his life.
And I said well, I have aconfession.
(25:49):
I said I actually write out allof my leftover cards and I send
them to the veteran hospitaland I write messages to the
soldiers.
And this man six, three,whatever.
He is tall foot tall and just abig guy and he too is a veteran
(26:14):
he just started to weep and hesaid you have no idea the impact
that that makes on the soldier.
The mere fact that you'retaking the time out to write a
message to let them know thatthey're not alone, it's
(26:39):
everything.
And you're a total stranger andyou're doing this out of the
kindness of your heart, notbecause you have to, but just
because you want to.
And when he told me this and Isaw the look on his face and I
saw him tear up and try to fightthose tears from streaming down
(27:00):
his face, it really gave methis sense of compassion around
this population of people withgreater insight than maybe I
even thought I had.
So slowly my secret got out thatI'd been doing this for years
(27:23):
and people have said over andover thank you for doing that.
But I don't say that it doesn'thave any kind of
acknowledgement of what I'vedone.
It's the complete opposite.
It's more about looking for thesmallest ways to make an impact
(27:43):
on someone else's life, lookingfor ways that are really going
to help boost someone else up.
It doesn't take a whole lot todo it, but it does mean
something.
Today, not only do I do thecards for the veterans, but I
(28:04):
also take time.
In every single year I go to themilitary cemetery and lay the
Christmas wreaths out on thegraves with hundreds of people,
thousands of people that do itend to end across the country.
(28:28):
The first year I did it, I wentwith anticipation of what it
would feel like thinking I'mdoing something special for
someone who's passed and maybeit's a World War I or World War
(28:48):
II vet or someone who's foughtin one of the wars.
But the astounding thing to mewas when I got to the military
cemetery.
It literally was at theentrance gate that you saw these
magnificent flags thatliterally are lining the street
(29:09):
to go up into the cemetery andthere's just piles and piles and
piles of wreaths that arestacked on top of each other and
all of the white headstonesthat go for acres that are just
lined up.
And when you look across yousee the white headstones and by
(29:33):
the time you leave you see thesebeautiful white headstones with
the Christmas wreaths and thebig red bow.
And it just moves you becausehundreds and thousands of men
and women that have served thecountry have just been honored
by total strangers.
(29:54):
And every time you pick up awreath you go over to the
headstone and you say theperson's name and if you have a
prayer, you say a prayer and youlay the wreath.
And it didn't hit me until Iheard someone say I am so filled
(30:16):
with gratitude that you've donethis for my father or my son or
my uncle or whoever it was thatwas in their family, because
they were on the other side ofthe country and couldn't be at
that cemetery to physically, inperson, honor their loved one
(30:37):
who had passed, who had servedthe country.
And I thought, oh my goodness,because for me, one of the
reasons I do it is that I don'tlive nearby the cemetery of my
grandparents, and my grandfatherserved the country and that was
(31:00):
something for me that I feltwas so powerful, was just, it
was a way to connect with himbut do something for other
people.
So when I heard this, it wasastounding because it was like I
get it.
I really get it, becausesomebody else is doing the same
(31:20):
thing for me in a differentplace.
But then, as I started to lookaround and walk the cemetery,
all of a sudden I come to anarea that is new earth, that has
been unearthed and brand newgraves are there, and then you
(31:46):
see the families that have shownup to honor their 20-something
year old son or daughter who isburied there, and it just brings
you to your knees becauseyou're reminded of the fact that
even in this holiday season,someone has lost someone they
(32:11):
love.
If you're hearing this and youhave anyone in your life that
you have a connection with thathas lost someone.
Keep them in your heart, inyour prayers, reach out to them,
make sure that they know thatyou're with them, that you're
(32:32):
thinking of them, because thisis a difficult time.
This holiday season, look forthe light, and when you can't
find the light, then you be thelight.
You take that opportunity to bethe light in someone else's
(32:55):
world.
It's so important that we'rethere for one another and in
this holiday season, the gift ofjust getting inward into your
own heart space and learningmore about yourself and taking
care of yourself is the greatestgift that you can give yourself
(33:15):
.
And the greatest gift that youcan give to another person is
love.
Give them love.
Give them the pure appreciationof recognizing them exactly as
they are and loving them.
This holiday season may bejoyous.
(33:40):
May it be abundant in love.
May it be everything that youenvision, because that's the
only thing that you need is oneanother in love.
Everything else it's a bonus.
Everything else is a bonus.
(34:03):
I look around and I see so manypeople caught up in the web of
the hustle and the bustle andthey have to do this and they
have to do that, but who saysyou have to?
Would it be okay if it just gotsimpler?
I have chosen to take thisholiday season and make it
(34:26):
simpler.
I've chosen to make it simplerfor a variety of reasons,
because one I think it'simportant that we recognize the
simplicity is a gift For yearsand years and years, these
(34:47):
traditions that we've lived by.
They may or may not have worked.
Maybe they've worked to give usmemories, but did they work to
give you the love that you feel,with simplicity?
Only you can answer that.
(35:08):
Take a step back and just thinkabout the gift of the Christmas
season, the gift of giving, andwhat your gift of giving really
is about.
For people struggling withtheir relationships, the holiday
(35:32):
season is so, so stressful fora lot of people.
But what if it didn't have tobe so stressful?
What if you could find a way towork with your family, with
your partner, and just come to aplace that it's okay for it to
(35:57):
be, exactly the way that it is,however that looks.
I have one Christmas tree that Iput out every year and it's
filled with homing ornamentsthat my children and I made when
they were young or they made inschool.
They tease me for putting itout, but there will be a point
(36:22):
that they're going to understandthat that tree is so special to
me because it is the simplicityof just having a little
ornament that brings me backinto a place in time when they
were two or three or five oreight, whatever age they were,
(36:48):
and it just gives me so muchwarmth in my heart because
that's a memory that I'll alwayshave and it's so special.
But they don't like theirornaments because as adults they
see them and they think they'rechildish and they weren't made
very well or they didn't do aperfect painting or whatever it
(37:10):
is that they did.
But that's just it.
It's perfect exactly the waythat it is, because that's what
they did, that's what they had.
So all those parents out there,when your child gives you a
gift, hold it and know that thatwas what they had, no matter
(37:35):
what it is.
And it's so special.
It's so special because it'sfrom them, it's from their heart
.
This time, this season, is anopportunity also to make new
traditions.
It could be as silly as you'vespent days and days and days
(37:59):
working on making Christmascookies, or maybe you've spent
days and days and days and youjust haven't been able to do too
much.
But there's something, ablessing, that comes from a
moment, and then that littleinsight into that blessing can
(38:19):
start to form a tradition.
Let me give you an example.
So when my children were small,and as I already shared, I
would spend a lot of time in thekitchen baking Christmas
cookies.
And for some reason I had tobake a variety of Christmas
cookies because I wanted torecreate some of what I
(38:43):
experienced in my home with mygrandparents.
So I wanted to have some ofthose traditional cookies that
my grandmother would make, and Itried to keep that tradition up
through the years.
Well, my son, christmas morning,he wakes up and he says Well,
(39:05):
we get to have those Christmascookies now, right.
And the first thought I had waswell, I told you, I had to wait
till Christmas.
It's Christmas andtraditionally, yes, we would
wait until later in the day tohave Christmas cookies.
But then something said to meno, it is time to have those
(39:26):
Christmas cookies.
So when he was four years oldand he asked that question,
everything changed, because itcame a new tradition that every
single Christmas morning fromthat point forward, when
everyone was doing thetraditional things, we would
(39:49):
have our Christmas cookies andthat's how we started our day,
and I just love how thattradition started, because it
was something that was unique toour family.
So, wherever you are in theworld, whatever it is that
you're doing for your holiday,it's okay to embrace the
(40:11):
simplicity of the holiday, it'sokay to embrace new traditions
and, even though 2020 has reallyrocked us and really shaken
things up for everybody, we'llremember the ones who have
passed.
We'll keep them close in ourheart, we'll honor them, and
(40:33):
it's okay if things lookdifferent this year, because
things do change and maybe thisis the start of something new
for everyone.
Maybe gone are the days of thiscrazy expectation that you have
to do everything a certain way.
(40:54):
A lot of people around theworld, as they're reevaluating
themselves, their lives arechanging.
I know a lot of people who haveseparated from relationships
and maybe things are harder, butagain, take the simplicity and
(41:16):
use that to be something thatcan be helpful to you and your
family in getting through thisperiod of time.
The holiday season is so special.
It's one where we areappreciative, generous, loving,
(41:40):
and for those people that don'texperience those things, like I
experienced as a little girl, itstarts with you.
It starts with you.
Go within you and use all ofthat to help someone else as we
(42:02):
go into the coming week.
I know 2021 is exciting becauseit means that we're embarking
in a new space and we're goinginto new beginnings, and I will
be uploading a very specialrecording with a very special
(42:25):
human.
All of everyone that I'verecorded with has been amazing,
but this one's going to give usa little bit of insight on this
term called New Earth.
For some people, they don'treally know what that means, but
it's going to be a special,special moment.
As we go into 2021, plan forwhat it is that you'd like your
(42:52):
life to be like.
Continue to do the work thatyou've been doing in 2020.
Continue to live in your spaceof love and gratitude.
Continue to seek out support ifyou need support.
Continue to detox any negativestuff that's heading your way.
(43:14):
Detoxing is so, so important.
As we go into 2021, retreat toPeace will be offering actual
retreats that will give peoplean opportunity to escape from
their world and be part of ahealing platform and do some of
(43:36):
this healing work.
I'm very excited about thisbecause I just know that there's
so many people who really,really want to wrap their arms
around more of this and havemore insight into this, and I'm
excited to be able to offer thatto you.
Continue to work on yourhealing toolbox.
(43:59):
If you're looking for thehealing toolbox, the website
wwwretreattopeacenet is whereyou can find it.
There's additional resourcesthere for distance healing.
There's additional resourcesthere for oils oils, or
(44:23):
something I use every single dayas part of my routine.
There's additional resourcesthere for detoxing your
environment.
If you're in an environmentthat's heavily exposed to toxins
.
There's additional resourcesthere for a lot of things, so
please feel free to utilize themand be part of a community that
(44:46):
is really working hard to getinto space where they are living
with that abundance of peace.
If anyone is in a space wherethey can help someone this
Christmas season, this holidayseason, take the opportunity to
do that.
(45:06):
Take the opportunity to findways to do that, because it will
be the greatest gift that youcan give yourself.
Live a blessed, blessed holidayseason, make it merry, make it
(45:27):
bright, make it everything thatyou want it to be, and live in
gratitude and love.
And wherever you are in,whatever stage of life, you do
get to decide what it looks likeand how it feels.
So show up.
Show up and do somethingspecial.
(45:49):
Do something special.
I would love to hear more aboutwhat you did.
That was special.
I shared some of my stories withyou, but I would love to hear
some of yours.
You can write to me atretreat2peaceloc at gmailcom.
(46:15):
I would love to hear yourthoughts.
I would love to hear about yourtraditions, maybe traditions
that you've changed, maybe newtraditions you've made.
I would love to hear from youabout the show.
If you're enjoying the show, Iwould love to hear whatever it
is that you have for feedback.
So, continue to be part of thisamazing world community, this
(46:42):
global humanitarian effort tobring the world together in a
safe healing space.
Continue to do that inner workand, of course, if anything is
resonating with you and maybe itcan help someone else, please,
please, please, share thesemessages.
(47:03):
Share these messages with yourcommunity, share them with the
people that you know that canbenefit.
But take the time to do thisspecial work for yourself,
because I know firsthand you'reworth it and every single human
being on the face of this planetis here for a reason and I'm so
(47:26):
excited about that.
So I ask you my retreat topeace listener, if I were to
pick up your earth angel featheroff of the ground and you had a
message to the world.
Be what would it be?
If you would like to share that, you can also write to me as
(47:53):
well.
I hope this holiday season isnothing but joyous, abundant and
filled with love and light and,as we go into 2021, I'm excited
to start the new year off withyou and I ask you to continue to
(48:15):
be with me as we continue onour journey of sharing messages
to help heal the world.
Thank you to each and every oneof you on behalf of myself.
I'm filled with gratitude andthat is such a short amount of
time that you all have joined meon this platform to be part of
(48:41):
this special community.
From the bottom of my heart, Ithank you.
May this holiday season beabundant and joyous for you.
This is Catherine Daniels, withRetreat to Peace.
That's all we have time fortoday and, as always, live your
authentic life in peace andretreat to peace.
(49:03):
We'll see you next time.
(50:51):
This is Catherine Daniels,coming back with a message of
gratitude and appreciation forRetreat to Peace and the launch
of Retreat to Peace to be ahumanitarian effort going out
into the world space, being in aplace where, literally, it can
(51:14):
help other people heal.
I am so filled with gratitudefor the love and support from
DreamVision7 Radio.
Deborah, you and your staffhave been amazing and
instrumental in helping me tolaunch a program that is so
(51:38):
vitally important in a worldstage that is really changing at
a rapid pace.
I thank you and I love you formaking me feel at home with your
family.
Thank you to my personal familyfor all of your love and
support and the extension of myfamily To Claudia, to Lisa, to
(52:03):
Diane, lauren, beth, ann, olivia, jackie, chelsea, manish, jeff.
There are so many people whohave loved and supported me
through this journey and throughthis process, and without your
love and support I don't knowthat I would have had this into
(52:27):
the space that it lives today,and I am so filled with
gratitude for you and for beingpart of my life.
Candace Winter, kristie Kitchen,giuliana Chiano, paul Forcing,
christine McGrath, robertKittridge, louis Cigaret, roman
(52:49):
Pocacciac, elaine Tursow,alexandria Desario, julia Valdez
, annie Axel, carissa Quaid,brooke Collins, rachel Wilson,
liz Tobin, teresa Elcombe, juliaStuby, laura Cheadle, barbara
(53:15):
Shouten, taylor Martin, chris DT, jordan, sasha, taylor, terry,
christine, suzanne Anderson,tammy Magnuson, tracy Ann, linda
, julius, scott Manduck, kristenMiller, preethi Jane Dee, ann
(53:42):
Smith, frank King, priscillaGeorge, destiny Dehaven, carrie
Laws, terry Banover, bergeEazale, lisa McNett, joe Peach
Graves, natasha Hobble, davidHollingsworth, helen Hardware,
(54:06):
kwan Glover, anne CK Nicholl,tiana Biondi, rihanna Campbell,
jennifer Rogers, susan Ways,kuwita Richards, Judy Winslow,
maggie Dawn, kim Munick, helenHannah, kristy Martin, casey
(54:31):
Compton, yvette Bowden,priscilla Augusta Jenin, lisa
Cook, nikki Lane, susieMcWilliams, tara Ubi, claudia
Ballmer, matina Singh andPratitha Bae.
(54:52):
Thank you so so much for beingpart of this special journey
with me.
I am just filled with gratitudefor meeting each and every one
of you and allowing me tointerview you and have this
experience with you.
Each and every one of you hasgiven me insight to things that
(55:17):
I didn't even know, but, greaterthan that, you've given insight
to a world that needs you morethan ever.
Thank you from the bottom of myheart.
May the end of 2020 be joyousand blessed and, as you journey
into 2021, may you continue withmany blessings, much love and
(55:41):
gratitude.
This is Catherine Daniels, withRetreat to Peace.
Give your authentic life andpeace and we'll see you next
time.
Thank you so much.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.